Nail file and case therefor



June 5, 1951 E. E. MURPHY NAIL FILE AND CASE THEREFOR Filed June 50, 1947 INVENTOR. A! Z 97 9 014 Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NAIL FILE AND CASE THEREFOR Earl E. Murphy, Chicago, 11].

Application June 30, 1947, Serial No. 758,126

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of a case to function as the handle of a nail file. Still another object is to provide means for constraining the sliding movement of the nail file with respect to the case. To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing illustrating this invention and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the unit showing the file extended for use and also, as indicated by dotted lines, housed in the comb.

Figure 2 is an enlarged broken top view emphasizing the formation of the resilient shank of the file.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the apertured end of the unit.

Figure 4 is a greatly enlarged view in section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the shell member employed in the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, the comb, of a suitable material, comprises the comb back II, with the usual spaced teeth if], said comb back II being provided with a recess Ha, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, extending lengthwise from one end to the necessary length of accommodate a slidable nail file l2 having an integral resilient shank l2a. A shell member l3 of substantially inverted U shape in cross section, with a contour corresponding to the contour of a comb back, is made to fit snugly over the back I I of the comb and in this manner it encloses the recess Ila and forms a housing for the file I 2. The shell member I3 is provided with a longitudinal side slot I l and a vertical end slot I5, said end slot being substantially the width of the recess II a and, as shown in Figure 3, being the point of egress for the file [2. The longitudinal slot I4 provides access to the recess Ila for a finger engaging element comprising a button l6 having a pin or shank lBa of a suitable length, which occupies the slot [4 and is riveted to the resilient shank [2a of the file l2 and thus, by making the diameter of the button l6 greater than the width of the longitudinal slot I4, and the diameter of the button shank l6a slightly less than the width of said slot [4, a slidable union is formed between the file l2 and the comb. The longitudinal slot l4 cooperates with the pin which forms the button shank [6a in guiding and limiting the movement of the file 12, each of its limiting positions being positively established by the respective ends of said slot [4. It should be noted that the length of the longitudinal slot l4 governs the length of the extended portion of the file I? in its projected position. The file shank l2a is resilient and, as shown in Figure 2, is of a curved formation designed to contact both inner walls of the enclosed recess Ila and to be put under slight compression therein, thus frictionally retarding the sliding movement of the file l2 in respect to the comb. To accommodate the shell member I3 the comb back i l is provided with shoulders [ID as shown to advantage in Figure 4, said shoulders 1 lb extending the entire length of the comb back II and having a width corresponding to the thickness of the metal or other material employed in the shell member it, for the purpose of snugly fitting the shell member I3 on the comb back II and imparting a smooth, unbroken surface to the unit.

In manufacture, the comb may be molded or machined to the required shape. The shell member l3 may be made of a suitable sheet metal and should be formed to the exact contour of a comb back. The resilient shank 12a of the file I2 should first be formed to the required shape and then be spring-tempered. The shell member is may be joined to the comb back H by adhesive means, thereby avoiding the use of rivets or the like.

It should be observed that the button shank lfia being made of a sufficient length, a slight pressure of the finger on the button l6 will partially relieve the compression of the resilient shank I2a of the file l2 and thereby permit the file l2 to be easily retracted in the comb or projected for use as a nail file.

As many modifications of the invention will readily suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, I do not limit or confine the invention to the specific details of construction herein shown anddescribed except within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A grooming unit of the character described comprising, in combination, an element having a back provided with a recess, a shell member of substantially inverted U shape in cross section mounted on the back of said element and 3 enclosing said recess, said shell member being provided with a longitudinal slot and. an end aperture, said slot and aperture being in communication with said recess, a nail file housed in said recess and being slidably connected to said member for egress and regress through said end aperture, said nail file being provided with a curved resilient shank Which slidably engages opposite inner side walls of said recess and is compressed therein, said nail file shank being provided with a pin in integral engagement with said file shank, said pin occupying said longitudinal slot and cooperating with said slot in guiding and limiting the sliding movement of said nail file in respect to said member, said 15 2,410,352

pin also being provided with a knob which func'- tions as a finger engaging element for manually actuating said nail file.

EARL E. MURPHY.

41 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,449,408 Hull Mar. 27, 1923 1,586,441 Blom May 25, 1926 1,654,807 Hardey Jan. 3, 1928 2,080,248 Ballou May 11, 1937 2,112,518 Caplan Mar. 29, 1938 2,122,226 Wyman June 28, 1938 2,214,386 Snyder Sept. 10, 1940 2,233,438 Troya Mar. 14, 1941 Maenpa Oct. 29, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 342,629 Great Britain Feb. 5, 1931 

